Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1887-03-29

while on the other hand Jacob was shock
el a, their lsvi,y when speaking OF things
sacred aud their disregard Of religion.
III. faith was deepened by the operation
Of the same causes that swep, his brother
down a resis,les. current Of 'kep,iei'm.
The views Of the two brothers on re.
lisious matter were well known and
much commented on by all classes OF
people in the village. aud more than all
from the fac, that their father va, q
prominsn, member and deacon OF the
church.
The good minister, the Rev. w. w.
Hooper. had once been greatly troubled
in mind abou, Slmuers welfare and his
influence upon the younger member OF
the community.
Sally Packard had been through the
neishborhood bu, few days before the
events narrated a. the beginning Of our
story. and repeated for the twentieth
time prophecy Of Aun, Betty that sam
usl woald never live 10 come home from
the war.
"whlt an awful thing !, is tha, Sam
usl Taylor" mo one called him sam ex-
esp, his comrades in the army els such a
.kepiic - she exclaimed on one occasion.
"whn a bad man he !, in eommun.
l,y" AS II ,ksp,ic. though bad enough
perhaps. especially a, that day were half
a. injariou. 20 the well.being OF COM
muni,y a. .candal-mongers) why
Mr.. Hooper !, worried 10 death about
him and they DO say Deacon Taylor and
hi. wife cant sleep nights on account OF
Aun, Betty. prophecy" And then
changing the subject. she would relate
.omt bi, Of scandal about Billy sPauld-
ing and Susan Cushman, or gossip about
Eliza Jane Bi,bee and James Wood. She
caught Tartar in young Tom Jones.
while m.king call a, the Jones. Tom
heard her "lngo". a. he called Il. ioF
some minutes In silence, bat when she
alluded to samuel being lost sinner.
and Aun, Bs,,y'' prophecy. he could
bear !, no longer.
"Yoa must be veKsl. sally. about h''
rhyme of your failure to gsi 20 heaven.
DO you want TO hear ii !, be sPlieialiy
asked
NO. | don'i. she replied, b'sinnins
to r,dden ia the face.
"Bl, you shall" rsjoinei Tom. And
be delivered The following In The most
dramatic style be was master Of. while
sally made tracks io' the door
"when sally Packard iiei ofiate.
.hs wsnt siralrhssy to heavens gate.
Gabrisl met hef sith cllh, .
Ani snOckei her bAck % h'eif'pAo.
"I kaew eoald shut her up he
.ail. a. the door closed with a bang.
"Bat how | hate that thing"
"Ha,s no one. my .oa." was the SEN
,iblc remark of Mrs. Jones. and DO not
call her thing. Thomas
"well, mother. what il she but a
thing. And mean one al that, going
Aboa, the neishoorhooi. making miseh'si.
Only yesterday heard You call her a
,.,,lsr and mischisf.mlksr, and say that
she h.d caused lots Of trouble
Mrs. Jones .ad nothing. lwhA, could
she say under the eircums,Anees y aud
Tom went about bis play pleased enough
,ha, he had sileneed bis mothers re-
prooi..
sally did not % easily sei over Il. Sev.
eral time, she was heard 10 'ay that, that
Tom Jone. i. piece Of imPudenee. and
will yet come to some bad end. See II
he don't II he va, my boy. Id teach
him how to behave
Tom heard Of il. and wisely waited
for the opportunity. when a. he said he
could square accounts.
Abigail Taylor va. little, thin 40.
man. With a sharp voice. who generally
had her way and say in the management
Of matter. relating 10 the domestic con-
Gems Of The household, aud AZ the time
our story begins was Abou, fifty years OF
age.
Her sons wife. Rachel. was the dAush-
ter Of David Samner. one Of the mos,
respected citizens Of the town and dea-
con also Of the church.
Rachel wa. twenty-five and the moth.
cr Of lish,.haircd rc.y.ehesksd and
in,ellisen, boy Of three yeafs. who had
been named benjamin. Franklin a, the
earnest solicitation Of samuel.
She wa. we'll formed, fair Ia feature,
erect in carriage and when a certain
course had been decided on, was re'oluie
ia carrying !, out.
Reared in a religious family, where
the head Of the household was somewhat
exae,inp. she had accepted without que'.
ton. the doctrines in which she had been
brough, up, but her faith consisted more
in obedience TO the letter Of the law
than love for it' spirit.
When her mo,her.in.law appeared
with the announcement Of the grea, VIC
tory which the patriots had won, but a,
wha, cost even 70 her was then uncertain,
she was overcome for a moment with
painful apprehensions. as to the fate OF
her husband and in his loss, On !, should
40 prove to bel. Of the cherries future
for herself and little one. The baby
wa, playing a, her feet. and catching !, in
her arms she hugged him fonily TO hel
breast.
"Do no, fear. Rachel" said Abigail,
trying to comfort the young wife. though
she herself stood greatly in need OF CON-
fort. 81 feel sure ,ha, Jacob will return,
but Samuel" and here she wiped
away tear with her apron, {. she
though, Of the prOphsey-"may be lost
Ba, be will 20, fall a coward. for he is
good soldier. Jacob says. and Capt. Jones
wrote ,ha, be was the brave't man in the
company" Thus the Spartan virtue
aud patriotism Of the woman, rose 'u'
psrior to her fears.
.,No h. ill coma home unframed. the